£64m wasted each year on passport renewals

Overall, �64.2 million is unnecessarily wasted each year on last minute renewals.

Published:14:00Saturday 19 November 2016

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British travellers collectively waste an estimated £64.2 million each year as a result of failing to renew passports in good time ahead of travelling, reveals new research from travel insurance specialist Columbus Direct.

Overall, one in nine people (equivalent to 5.7 million) has experienced issues as a result of not renewing their passport in sufficient time over the last three years.

This includes 2.2 million people (4.3%) who have had to pay extra for a seven-day passport renewal service and 1.4 million (2.7%) who forked out more for a premium, same day processing service.

A further 1.2 million (2.3%) adults have paid extra for the seven-day fast track renewal service for their children.

Nearly a quarter (23%) of those aged 18-34 have had an issue with needing to renew their passport urgently compared to just 4% of those aged over 55.

Travellers who opt for quicker passport renewal services are paying at least 42.1% more than they normally have to.

The standard cost for renewing an adult 32-page passport is £72 (3 weeks), compared to £103 for a 7-day fast track service (a premium of 42.1%) and £128 for a one-day service (a premium of 76.6%).

For child passport, the cost of a 7-day fast track service (£87) almost doubles its normal charge (£46), but 1-day premium service is not available for children.

Brits collectively spend an estimated £169 million on fast-track and premium passport services every year, which is £64.2 million more than what they would pay had they used a standard passport renewal service.

The research also reveals that 1.2 million (2.3%) have been refused travel out of the UK or into their destination as a result of passport issues, such as out-dated documentation or insufficient time left on the passport before expiry, in the last three years.

Rob Thomas, Head of Brand at Columbus Direct said: “Going on holiday is expensive enough without the added cost of paying for a premium passport service.

“Before booking a trip, travellers should check their passport expiry date as well as the specific country’s passport and visa requirements to make sure that they can travel abroad.

“The advice from the passport office is clear: do not book a trip abroad until you have a valid passport.

“Holidaymakers should also take out travel insurance as soon as they have booked a trip to cover themselves in case they need to cancel their holiday due to unforeseen circumstances such as illness or jury service.

“Not being able to travel due to passport issues will not be a valid reason for claiming a refund, although some insurance policies do provide travellers cover if their passports get stolen shortly before their departure date.

“It’s important that travellers give themselves enough time to prepare all the required travel documents if they don’t want to endure unnecessary stress at the last minute.”

Different destinations have varying requirements around passports and visas. For example, British travellers flying to the US need to have an ePassport4, which is equipped with an electronic chip compliant with the Visa Waiver Programme (VWP).

Those without an ePassport should contact the Passport Office for a replacement to allow them to use the VWP, otherwise they will need to apply for a visa to enter the US on their current passport.

Other countries with specific requirements include:

· New Zealand – passports should be valid for a minimum period of one month from the date of exit from New Zealand;

· South Africa – passports should be valid for a minimum period of 30 days from the date of exit from South Africa. Passports should also have at least two blank pages when presented at immigration to enter or leave South Africa;

· Those travelling to destinations outside the EU to countries including Turkey, Thailand and Brazil (among others) need to have a minimum period of six months validity left on their passport from the date of entry to the country.

Those travelling from the UK to the EU do need to have a valid passport but it only needs to be effective for the length of their stay.